The Pursuit of Happiness
by Delle Tuh
Summary: I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know that everything that shines ain't always gonna be gold. Hey, I'll be fine once I get, I'll be good. A Leah Clearwater oneshot written after Breaking Dawn. No warnings.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Twilight._

**Author's Note:** The song is Pursuit of Happiness (Nightmare) by Kid Cudi. It's an amazing song and I was waiting for a story to write with it, this took me only a few hours to write, and I really love it. I love Leah's character, because she's a complex individual. This is all after Breaking Dawn and sometime into that future, though not far. Enjoy and review! -Delta

**The Pursuit of Happiness**

"_Tell me what you know about dreamin', dreamin'. You don't really know about nothin', nothin'. Tell me what you know about them night terrors every night, five a.m. cold sweats wakin' up to the skies. Tell me what you know about dreams, dreams. Tell me what you know about night terrors, nothin'. You don't really care about the trials of tomorrow, rather lay awake in a bed full of sorrow."_

"I had another one last night."

"Again?"

"It's been happening almost every night, Jacob."

Leah hung her head and Jacob didn't know what to say; they were alone in his shed behind Billy's, talking like they always did.

"What was this one about?"

She flinched, remembering all too well.

It started like most, in the clearing with the newborns. Except with this image all of her brethren were dead, laying on the ground, mangled and bloody, the smell putrid.

The last thing she remembers is a newborn, blurry with speed, attacking her, ripping out her throat, before waking in a dead panic. Sweat covering her body, chest heaving with thick and heavy breaths.

It was Jacob's turn to sigh.

"They don't happen every night, though, like I said."

"Those nights are few and far between," he looked at her sympathetically, "We both know that."

But what he didn't know was that they were almost worth it; hair blowing in the wind her car created, singing to oldies on the radio and watching the road fly beneath her, ever changing.

"I want those dreams, Jake," she whispered, guilty.

Everything was finally settled in, Charlie was practically living with her mother. Seth was back in school and doing well and the awkwardness between her and Sam had finally ceased, if only because of her own effort.

And, Jacob was happy. She didn't want to leave when everything was beginning to look up, but she couldn't find a place to fit herself into everyone's happy life. They were all imprinting and settling down, and she didn't even know if that was a possibility for her. She didn't know anything about her future the way the rest of them did. She didn't know herself apart from the wolf anymore.

"You want to leave," it was a statement and not a question. Jacob had tasted her thoughts, and they were dripping with the yearning to leave the road behind her, never looking back. They hurt his feelings, after all they'd been through, but he couldn't condemn her for them. Not anymore.

"No, Jake," she whispered, sighing again, "I think I have to."

Jacob smiled then, taking her hands in his and kissing her knuckles affectionately.

"You do what you have to do," he nodded to himself, still looking at their hands, "I'll be here if and when you decide to come back."

"Thank you."

He smiled again, a big, wolfish grin. Only for her, "Anytime."

--

Jacob fixed her car to the best of his ability, even having Rosalie take a look before giving her the go ahead. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew it would take awhile to get there.

No one really wanted her to leave, but no one stopped her either.

Sam nodded in understanding, and she was grateful. Seth was a little more unforgiving, though he warmed up faster than she would have thought, and her mother did what her mother did best. She endured, kissed her on the cheek, and told her the same thing Jacob had. That she would be here when she came back home.

It was the only thing she could really ask for.

She had a savings put away of more than a few thousand dollars from the years of working down at the grocery store in La Push, birthday's and Christmas'. She knew it would only be enough for so long, but she hoped it would be long enough.

Edward and Bella had tried to convince her to take one of their cars and some more money, saying it was the least they could do after what she had done. She blushed and refused the car, though they wouldn't take her leaving without the envelope full of more money than she'd ever held in her life.

Maybe the bloodsuckers weren't that bad after all, she thought, sticking it into her back pocket as she loaded her car up with her clothes and necessities, a road map her partner in the passenger seat.

"Be safe," her mother said, holding her tightly, "Please."

"I will," she said, squeezing her tightly, "And I'll call every night when I pull in."

"You promise?" Seth said, hugging them both, tears audible in his voice.

"I promise."

And she left, riding into the sunrise with Jacob running wolf along with her, until the forest faded - and him with it.

--

The weeks were beautiful, landscapes and scenery changing with every new day. She slept in her car a lot, never needing a blanket even when the nights grew cold. If was a comforting kind of simplicity, knowing the road would be waiting for her when she awoke. Knowing the world would still be out there, waiting for her too.

She called her mother and Seth every night as promise, and she called Jacob often too, just to let him know she was all right.

And she missed them all, but she still had the whole country in front of her, and she wasn't going to miss it. She finally decided to drive to the East Coast, New York her final destination.

She stopped everywhere in between, Nevada and Texas, Tennessee and Mississippi, even Florida for a quick bout before crawling all the way up the coast, along the beautiful ocean the whole while.

It was surprising how quickly she found herself between the roads and highways, how easily it was to stand in her skin comfortably. She found herself walking in crowds, not thinking of imprinting or anger or wolves or anything but that moment and that time.

It was a wonderful thing to be a part of, a wonderful thing to witness. A sunset in the Keys, and a sunrise over the New York strip.

She knew she would never forget it as she sat upon the hood of her car, still warm from the roads behind them. It was a wonderful sense of accomplishment, watching the rays of the sun fill in the lines of skyscrapers, the city that never sleeps transitioning to day with her.

She didn't know when it would end, didn't know when New York wouldn't be enough for her anymore. All she knew was that she had the time, the means, and the heart to go on forever if it took her that long.

And, she knew it would all be worth it.

The journey, the ending, the pursuit.

The pursuit of happiness.

--


End file.
